We're talking about the best wide receiver in Iowa history. McNutt owns four school records outright, and he is tied for tops in another. All of his 2,861 yards and 28 touchdowns came after the St. Louis native spent his first year and a half in Iowa City as a quarterback.

McNutt was named the Big Ten's Receiver of the Year and first-team all-conference in 2011; his 1,315 yards last season were the seventh-most in league history. He accounted for more touchdowns than any other receiver in the conference.

But he had to watch six other Big Ten wideouts get drafted before he heard his name called.

You can't look me in the eye and honestly expect me to believe McNutt was the 26th-best receiver available, much less the sixth-best in the Big Ten.

You can't possibly tell me three kickers and a punter can be expected to make more of an impact than Mr. McClutch, when — in the overwhelming majority of cases — specialists usually aren't selected until the seventh round (if they're drafted at all).

You can't tell me it isn't strange that the Dolphins — who desperately needed a wideout after finishing 23rd in the league in passing and hired a longtime Iowan to coach the receivers this off-season — passed on McNutt's record-breaking numbers in favor of B.J. Cunningham.

Wide receivers? Three. None of them (McNutt, Kevin Kasper, and Kahlil Hill) went before the sixth round.

The NFL holds clearly holds Ferentz in high regard; he coached under Bill Belichick, his name crops up whenever a coaching vacancy appears, and you can't argue with the 53 Hawkeyes drafted during his tenure.

McNutt wasn't the best receiver in the draft (that would be Justin Blackmon), and because he was widely expected to be taken in the fifth round, a slide down to the sixth isn't that big a deal.

But the manner in which he slid should raise some eyebrows. He wasn't the best receiver, but he sure as hell wasn't the 26th-best, either.

McNutt didn't have character concerns like Alfonzo Dennard (punched a cop) or even Reiff (ran naked through Pita Pit). He was a polite, hardworking player who just happens to be the best receiver Iowa ever had.

I hope McNutt gets his fair shake in Philly. His stats alone say he deserves a chance.